The Black Fox of the Supernatural Ability Academy – Ch 5: The Tsundere Fox Follows
The voice that escaped Arena's lips set the staircase ablaze with echoes.
Chayeon's brows twitched sharply.
“...Wearing women's clothes?”
“Yes! Wearing women's clothes! You've been dressing like a girl every single time, and on the very first day you showed up in the academy uniform skirt! I—I mean, as a boy!”
Chayeon watched Arena stumble over her words and felt a strange pull in his chest.
Wha...? What the hell was she even saying?
Yes, he had been born male. But that had nothing to do with it now. He was a girl in this body, period.
So what if he had worn the skirt on day one? Calling that “wearing women's clothes” felt ridiculous.
More importantly, how had Arena figured out he was a guy in the first place?
She'd said something about “female instincts,” but that was laughable.
Chayeon furrowed his brow, then suddenly understood.
She'd been tailing him.
Ever since he'd joined the academy, he'd noticed this petite girl shadowing his every step. He'd just never realized it went that far.
From what Arena was babbling now, she must have overheard his conversation with Jeong Seohee yesterday.
And in the process, she had come to the most ridiculous conclusion possible.
That he was actually a crossdressing boy.
Chayeon decided to clarify before things got worse.
“You're mistaken. Right now I'm a girl.”
“What the hell are you talking about? It's too late to backpedal now!”
Chayeon had expected Arena to give up the act, but she only doubled down with sparkling eyes.
“It's not backing down—it's the truth! I'm really a girl!”
“Hah! Like I'd believe you? If you don't start obeying me from now on, I'll tell the entire class about this secret...!”
“You're the one who was tailing me.”
Chayeon's voice dropped into a freezing chill, and Arena jumped.
But she quickly recovered, puffed up like she'd won the lottery.
“That's right! So what? Do you really think you can lecture me right now? The real mistake was you and Professor Jeong meeting alone after class and chatting so carelessly. A boy and a female teacher alone after school? That sounds exactly like a date...! Eh?!”
Her words cut off mid-sentence as her eyes widened in horror.
Chayeon could almost see the gears turning in that pretty little head of hers.
“You... you...! W-wait, no way...! That's... that's not it! That's disgusting!”
Chayeon had known Arena for a month now. She was an absolute nutcase when it came to imagination.
Give her one tiny clue and she would spin it into an entire novel and swear it was gospel.
It was kind of pathetic, honestly. How did someone like that keep getting along with everyone?
(Though Chayeon himself was conveniently absent from that circle.)
“A forbidden romance between teacher and student... And the student is a crossdressing boy? What the heck? Is this Professor Jeong's type? Is that it?!”
Chayeon stared at Arena muttering to herself like a madwoman and felt nothing but pity.
“You're thinking the wrong thing entirely. I'm a girl. Don't spread nonsense around just because you had a weird thought.”
Chayeon finished his sentence and turned to climb the stairs again.
“Wait, so Professor Jeong is... Eh? Then why him? But Chayeon is a girl... wait, is a girl? Wait, no... male? Male? Female?”
Arena's head snapped up so fast her neck almost cracked.
Her eyes gleamed under the light like a predator's.
“I have to check for myself!”
“Huh?”
Before Chayeon could even react, Arena spread both arms wide and launched herself forward like a missile.
Her hands aimed straight for his crotch.
“You crazy bitch!”
Chayeon lunged and grabbed her wrists just in time, but the difference in strength was overwhelming.
Arena's hands kept inching closer despite his grip.
What the hell is wrong with this idiot?
She was a little unbalanced, sure, but this was insane.
“Stop me! You're a girl! If you're really a girl, it's okay to touch! Let me check!”
“Whether you're a girl or a boy, you're not supposed to touch me, you insane woman!”
Even when Chayeon shouted at the top of his lungs, Arena acted like she couldn't hear a thing.
Her eyes burned with manic excitement as she pressed closer.
This body really didn't have the strength it needed.
If she kept going like this, an eight-year-old girl would have been molested. Literally.
Chayeon had been holding back with everything he had, but suddenly he let go.
“Eek?!”
The moment the resistance vanished, Arena's body lurched forward off balance.
Chayeon slipped sideways and sprinted up the stairs in a blur.
“W-wait!”
Arena recovered in an instant and chased after him with terrifying speed.
Her eyes were completely rolled back.
Chayeon suddenly felt like the fantasy life he'd been living had switched genres to a full-blown thriller.
Just what the hell is wrong with that crazy girl?
Chayeon ran up the stairs with every ounce of strength he had left.
“Hah... hah...”
Even though he was panting, he had only climbed three floors, but his lungs burned.
He burst through the hallway door and sprinted toward his own room.
Password... what was it again? In his panic, he couldn't even remember the lock code he'd used every single day.
Wait... was it 9647?
Chayeon slammed the lock open and shoved the door shut just as Arena reached the threshold.
CLANG!
“Open up! Chayeon! Just once! Just let me check once!”
Smash. Smash. Smash.
While Chayeon stood there catching his breath, Arena kept pounding on the door with one hand while the other stayed glued to his crotch through the wood.
Outside, the noise had grown louder.
Someone must have come over and started scolding her.
A few sharp exchanges later, the hallway fell silent again.
“Fuck... what a mess.”
Chayeon collapsed onto the floor, legs giving out completely.
He knew her imagination was out of control, but why did it feel like she'd just found a single pin in a haystack and was treating it like the Holy Grail?
Did she actually have a mental problem?
How did she even function in daily life?
Chayeon recalled the look in Arena's eyes earlier.
That wasn't the gaze of a normal, sane person.
“Ha... fuck.”
How the hell had he ended up tangled up with her of all people?
For the first time, he actually paused to think about his own actions.
***
“What the hell did I even do yesterday?!”
All day in class, Arena had buried her face in her hands, replaying every second of that embarrassing memory on loop.
The lecture had been completely lost on her.
In the time she zoned out, the entire lesson had flown by.
Thankfully, it was shortened today, so she hadn't missed anything critical.
Calm down, Arena. It was just a small mistake.
She repeated the words to herself over and over, trying to bring her racing heart under control.
Chayeon is... still a guy, right?
Arena dug through her memories one by one.
The words she'd overheard in the conversation with Professor Jeong. The way Chayeon had suddenly changed his tune when she mentioned “boy.” The way he'd frantically protected his groin throughout the training.
His rough language, his usual demeanor... everything pointed in one direction.
Arena nodded to herself firmly.
Yeah, Chayeon is definitely a guy. He's hiding his true gender. But...
Her gaze drifted to the corner of the classroom where Chayeon sat.
Even with her own eyes, there was no way that petite figure could be a boy.
She looked every bit the genuine girl.
I need proof. Solid, undeniable proof.
3:00 p.m. Training schedules had been canceled, and Chayeon had already left the classroom.
Arena didn't hesitate. She followed right behind him.
***
“Following me again?”
Huge passion. At this rate, I might even start suspecting you're in love with me.
“Shut up.”
Or maybe you're in love with the guy inside me?
“Stop talking nonsense.”
Chayeon could feel Arena trailing him the entire way out of the classroom.
Ever since yesterday's incident, the discomfort had only grown worse.
During lessons he kept catching her staring, and every time, she'd mutter something to herself and tug at her own hair.
She's definitely insane.
Chayeon told himself that every single time he looked at her.
Right now he was heading toward the old building.
It was far from the brand-new main building that had been built just a few years ago.
He'd asked Professor Jeong for directions to the Black Nine-tailed Fox after hearing the story.
The mere existence of such a legendary spirit inside the academy had kept him on edge.
Black Fox was no exception.
Someone's impersonating me. Chayeon, make contact with that guy.
Chayeon hadn't needed to be told twice. He went straight to Professor Jeong and asked for the location.
Since it was supposedly just for introductions, the professor had agreed without hesitation.
Which was why Chayeon was making his way to the old building right now.
The only problem was the girl still hot on his heels.
Technically there was nothing wrong with following, but right now she believed he and Professor Jeong were in some twisted romantic relationship.
Even if she saw them meeting alone in the empty old building, it was only a matter of time before the misunderstanding exploded.
Chayeon could handle the misunderstanding, but he was a little worried about how Arena might explode in front of the professor.
“Hmph.”
Detours weren't really his style, and this felt too much like a hassle.
Chayeon had decided to confront her head-on.
He rounded the corner of the building and stopped, waiting silently.
A few seconds later, Arena tiptoed around the same corner and froze when she saw him.
“Kyaaah!”
She let out a bizarre squeak and stumbled backward like a fish out of water.
“C-Chayeon!? How?!”
“You were following me so obviously, how could you not know?”
Chayeon watched her fumble for the perfect excuse, then realized she'd noticed her own awkward posture.
She cleared her throat and straightened her uniform.
“I wasn't following! I just... happened to be walking the same route!”
“Same route? This place is completely empty.”
There was no one around. Students and teachers alike had vanished, leaving the old building deserted.
Even more strangely, there weren't even any teachers near the main building today.
“You...! Why are you here in this empty place? S-Surely... you came to see Professor Jeong, didn't you?!”
Arena had hit the nail on the head. Chayeon's mouth went dry.
“That's it! You two are clearly...! What on earth are you two doing in a place like this with no one around?!”
As she spoke, Arena's face turned bright red, like she'd been slapped.
“That's not what happened.”
His head was already pounding. Words wouldn't reach her anyway.
Still, she seemed more sane than expected.
“Just don't go wild again, especially not like yesterday. I'm going home now.”
Since he was caught, he figured she wouldn't follow.
Chayeon turned to leave when a hand suddenly grabbed the collar of his shirt.
“I want to come too!”
“Why me?”
Chayeon looked back at her with narrowed eyes.
Arena was frantically waving her arms like she was trying to hail a cab.
“I-I can't just leave a... an inappropriate relationship between a teacher and student! I'll have to... have to monitor you!”
“Inappropriate relationship? Fine, whatever.”
Chayeon felt a migraine coming on and pressed his fingers to his forehead.
She wasn't the type to listen to reason.
Just facing her was exhausting, but letting her run wild would be even more annoying.
“Do whatever you want.”
Chayeon shrugged off her hand and started walking again.
Arena followed with a strangely happy smile on her face.